Drunk At Home Brits Cause Millions Of Pounds Worth Of Damage

Published on February 18, 2012

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t drink and drive but it seems you should also not drink and be in charge of a house – as being so can result in significant damage from fire, flood, breakages and even theft as a result of properties being left unlocked.

Research from MORE TH>N Home Insurance shows how drunk Brits in the home have wreaked havoc and caused almost £700 million pounds worth of damage through fires, floods, breakages and leaving their properties open to burglars.

The most common mishaps include:

Breaking valuable items after falling over whilst drunk

Forgetting to remove the keys from the lock after returning drunk from a heavy night out and thereby leaving the house open to burglary

Causing a kitchen fire after falling asleep when cooking food

Causing a flood after falling asleep and leaving kitchen and bath taps running

Causing a fire by leaving candles burning.

Interestingly enough the worst offender for being ‘drunk in charge of a house’ are actually not the typical person you might think – they are in fact a 35-54 year-old professional living in a property worth an average of approaching £250,000.

Matt Pernet, from MORE TH>N Home Insurance, commented: “The dangers of drink driving are well documented, but the perils of being drunk in the home are not. Yet, as this research shows, the home can be a highly precarious place for somebody with impaired judgement.

“If you think you are going to be drunk at home then it pays to plan ahead. With just a few small acts of mindfulness you can significantly reduce the chances of a costly incident from occurring.”

So, with help from MORE TH>N, here are some tips to help avoid a drunk-related problem in your home:

Don’t cook when drunk. As a spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “Too many fires are started when someone has passed out and left a pizza in the oven or some bacon under the grill. If people are going to have a few drinks, whether at home or on a night out, then a takeaway is by far the safest option to satisfy any late-night cravings.”

Keep any valuable or fragile items safely out of drunken-tripping distance

Leave the candles alone if you’ve had one too many drinks

Don’t worry about personal hygiene at the end of a heavy night – a bath or shower can wait until the next day

Always keep your keys about your person.

MoneyHighStreet.com comments: “Some very good tips to be aware of – the last thing you want is to have a great night out to be followed by an absolute disaster!

“It’s not just being drunk in charge of a house though that can be an issue. There’s also the issue of DIY disasters. Many homeowners are attempting to save money by doing their own DIY around the home but the result for some is a nightmare and a heavy cost on their home insurance.

“Interestingly enough, a survey by Halifax Home Insurance, found that a level of ‘spatial awareness is required to be ‘a natural’ at DIY and yet two-thirds of Brits lack this – no wonder so many of us have disasters!

“The clear message seems to be to careful whatever you are doing, and indeed seek professional advice if need be.”